


Cinema

by WittyWallflower



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Twilight References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-24
Updated: 2013-08-24
Packaged: 2017-12-24 04:14:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/935199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WittyWallflower/pseuds/WittyWallflower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mr Gold takes Belle to see her first movie. AU - Belle remembers her life in the Dark Castle but knows little of life in Storybrooke outside of the room she was locked away in. Lacey never surfaces and Belle has no other memories of this strange world without magic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mr. Gold watched Belle's dark curls tumbled back to reveal her creamy neck as her eyes lifted to the movie theater's marquee.

"Twilight." she said, turning back to him. "Is it based upon the book? It's a popular title at the library but I haven't read it. Ruby told me what the story is about. After the Ogres war back home, I'm surprised people in Storybrooke still have such a fascination with deadly creatures." But she smiled her willingness to see it anyway.

Gold would have vastly preferred to introduce Belle to cinema with a film of some substance. Gone With the Wind perhaps, it was considered a masterpiece and she had read that one. He smiled in memory of the weekend she had spent utterly lost to the world while devouring Margaret Mitchell's novel. She had even brought the book to Granny's diner once and spent her meal absorbed by it, distractedly poking a french fry into her mouth every time she flipped a page.  Miss Lucas tried three times before managing to get Belle's attention to ask if the bibliophile would like more iced tea. "Oh, yes! I'm so sorry, Ruby," Belle had said, "Only they're burning Atlanta, you see..."

Sadly Storybrooke's tiny two-screen theater didn't offer much by way of movie classics. Gold had only chosen the teen romance because the other film showing was an equally outdated spy thriller. It did look exciting but he didn't relish the idea of his dear Belle confronted by such violence and death on a 10 foot tall screen. Having lived in his Dark Castle she was certainly no stranger to extortion and espionage but for the moment he'd rather avoid anything that might reminder Belle of his evil past. Let her enjoy the innocence of this world without magic.

"So I understand." He placed a guiding hand on her back as he opened the door to the theater, gently ushering her inside.

They discussed other books that were oft-requested in her library, as well as her favorite among the new books she had to read, as they waited in line to purchase tickets. Where he could, Gold told Belle which of the stories had been immortalized on film. He hadn't seen most of them, but one really couldn't avoid being bombarded by advertisements for each new release. 

Belle tried not to blanch visibly when the ticket vendor priced their tickets. She hadn't had many occasions to spend this world's form of currency yet, but she still found the price exorbitant. They could share a meal and a few glasses of wine at Granny's at that cost, with perhaps enough left to split a slice of pie. But Gold handed over the paper money calmly, taking their tickets and guiding her towards a concession counter.

Noting the prices of the various snacks on the menu board, Belle attempted to demure politely when Gold asked what she would like. It was unreasonable to pay so much for a treat when they planned to have dinner afterward. He would insist upon paying for that as well, she knew, and it's not as if he spent all his time spinning straw into gold in this world. But he would have none of her denials and Belle had to admit that the aroma filling the room was quite tempting and the displays were full of gaily colored boxes and bags of sweets.

"You cannot see a film without popcorn, dearie." he insisted.  "It is part of the experience, and it is the _experience_ I particularly wish to share with you." A moment later she found herself the possessor of a large box of candy that rattled when she shook it, and a cup filled to the brim with a partially frozen beverage in a bright shade of blue. Gold carried a large paper tub of fluffy popcorn drizzled with butter.

A teenaged attendant took their tickets and they passed into a partially dim room full of tiered seats. 

"Which seats are ours?" Belle inquired as she tried not to gape at the size of the screen. She wasn't to know it was unimpressive as far as movie screens go; it quite dwarfed even the largest television Belle had seen so far.

"They are not assigned. We may sit wherever we choose. Every row will offer an excellent view. So…" Gold offered her a half-smile. "You may choose. Where would you prefer?"

Belle glanced about, unsure of how to decide. If each seat offered an equal view, it didn't seem to matter. She was about to point at random when a thought occurred to help her choose.

"If it's all the same, I think i should like to sit up front here. I wouldn't want to miss anything." She held his eyes, not glancing down at the cane in his hand. As much as Belle wished to spare him the discomfort of climbing stairs unnecessarily, she also was loathe to wound his pride. He had been nothing but kind to her since she had been released from Regina's prison.

Belle knew his reputation, the things he had done before she had met him, as Rumpelstiltskin, in her father's castle worlds away. As Mr Gold though, he seemed to be a quiet-living man, harsh only to those who got his way or tried to hurt Belle. Though she had a healthy dose of fear of his dark powers, it did wound her to witness the spite the other townspeople had for Mr Gold because of Rumpelstiltskin's actions. She felt a new world ought to give a man a new chance.

They seated themselves in the middle of the foremost row. Belle sampled the icy blue drink he'd purchased for her and found it a lovely treat. Far too sweet to indulge in more than occasionally, but lovely and refreshing. She sipped at the straw again.

"Careful, dearie. That will make your head sore from the cold if you drink it too quickly." Mr Gold said pleasantly as she took a third swallow. He proffered the tub of popcorn to her. "Best balance it with a bit of warm popcorn."

She smiled as she took a dainty handful, popping a few kernels into her mouth. Gold watched as her lips widened further at the taste.

"This is delicious. I tried a bit of popcorn Ruby made one evening, but it wasn't nearly as good as this. Perhaps it is good she doesn't do the cooking at Granny's."

"Oh, I am sure Miss Lucas' popcorn was quite adequate. You see, there is a very special magic in a movie theater. You'll notice it more when the lights dim and the film begins. Popcorn becomes a great delicacy, every beverage quenches more than it would anywhere else, and every film seems a masterpiece. " He rather hoped that would be the case today.

The Storybrooke Cinema rarely changed its offerings; surely everyone in town had seen this movie by now. Gold hoped that fact, coupled with the 2:14 matinee showtime, explained why no other viewers had joined them. The lack of an audience didnt say much for the movie itself. Though he certainly didn't mind the time alone with Belle.

She reached for another handful of popcorn but paused, remembering the box of candy on her lap and lifting it to inspect the label.

"Junior Mints. Is there a Senior Mint as well?" Belle smiled saucily at him and he had to grin at her little joke.

"Perhaps, but I believe the senior mint goes by the name of York." He made a mental note to introduce her to peppermint patties first chance he got. "Those are best saved till last. The sweet chocolate and mint are even better after all this popcorn." Perhaps he could convince her to share a few with him. If he stole a kiss later, she would find it far more pleasing than lips that tasted of salt and butter.

Taking his advice, Belle set the box aside just as the lights dimmed to darkness. The screen lit up and trailers for movies long since released onto dvd marched across it. Gold didn't note which films were being advertised, he was watching Belle's eyes as they shone in reflection of the dancing lights before her. Yes, he had made a good decision in bringing her here today.

As the opening theme started, Gold turned his attention to the screen. But the next moment his hand brushed Belle's as they both reached for more popcorn. She started to pull back but he tipped the tub towards her, encouraging her to help herself first. He smiled, his teeth gleaming in the darkness, as she quickly took a heaping double handful of the tasty treat.

Funny, Belle thought to herself, she had heard Ruby complain that chivalry was dead in this world but was it really? She hadn't seen enough of it to tell if Gold could indeed be consider chivalrous or if his affection for her made him inordinately kind. She had a feeling Ruby and the other women of town wouldn't find anything particularly pleasing about his manners. She had seen the good in him years ago, even at his worst, but even to her he had not been so outwardly thoughtful. If Rumplestiltskin thought he motives could be interpreted as kind, he quickly attempted to dispell such notions with an empty threat or a suggestion she return to her cleaning duties. 

But as the movie began she put aside her musings and munched contentedly, riveted by the sights before her. It took a moment to get used to watching 20 foot tall faces speak but Belle was always one to get swept away and absorbed in any story. Indeed sometimes it felt like she could stand up and walk right into the story on the screen. She didn't even notice when Mr Gold, settling himself more comfortably in his seat, shifted close enough that his shoulder brushed hers. Belle unconciously leaned against him and reached for more popcorn, her eyes never leaving the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

His senses tuned to her presence as they always were, Gold noticed the second she seemed to become restless. She turned to him a few times and once he saw her lips part as if to speak. Seizing the opportunity he leaned close to her, inhaling the fragrance of her hair as he whispered.

"Something wrong, dearie?"

His warm breath feathering over her skin had given her goosebumps, but when he spoke and his lips brushed the curve of her ear, she couldn't hide the delicate shudder of response. She collected herself quickly, trying to remember what had been in her thoughts before.

"Is it okay to ask questions?" she spoke very softly "I would imagine talking is discouraged as if it were a stage play, but there are no live actors, no one here but us.."

Gold tried not to let _that_ thought distract him, sitting back in his chair to remove the temptation to kiss her tender earlobe.

"Any answers I have are at your disposal, Belle. You're quite right that social conventions frown upon talking in a theater while a film is playing, but as you say, there is no one here to disturb."

Belle watched the screen for a moment as she framed her thoughts.

"Are all movies so… blue?" His eyes flew to the screen and he realized he hadn't noticed before the bluish cast of the lighting in so many scenes. "Or are there places in this world that do look like that?"

"Neither, in fact. It is actually a bit of a trick used by those who make films. Certain hues suggest certain moods in film, they set the tone so the audience immediately knows how to feel about a scene. And also it is a cheap visual trick, this blue is often placed next to something orange. The sharp contrast between the two colors gives the whole a more striking appearance."

Belle nibbled more popcorn as she processed this, watching the screen. He could practically see the gears turn in her brain each time she spotted an example of the teal/orange contrast. The pickup truck. The lamp in the main character's bedroom. _Now I've done it_ , he thought. _She'll never be able to watch another film without looking for the effect in every scene_.

 

However, he didnt need to worry. She did become distracted by the story again and was soon properly engrossed. It was a pleasure to watch her intelligent eyes dart around the large screen, picking up every detail. At times, those eyes glued to the screen, she would reach blindly for the popcorn and Gold would discreetly slip it beneath her questing fingers so she needn't look away to find the treat. The lights from the screen reflected off her skin, making her glow with an almost ethereal beauty. In his dark suit, Gold felt as if he were melting into the shadows of the dim theater, shrinking back from the light of his Belle who gleamed like a pearl.

Unaccustomed to the fast and furious pace of modern action sequences, she jumped occasionally at abrupt changes in camera angle or dramatic scene cuts. He could tell she was enjoying herself though as she held her breath in suspense at an action sequence. It had been many years since her adventures in their world. Eventually he allowed his attention to drift from her back to the movie and nearly jumped out of seat moments later, startled when he felt her lips near  _his_  ear.

"'Prom'?" She whispered an inquiry. His spasmodic swallow and the way his grip tightened on the armrest didn't escape her and a corner of her mouth twitched in a smile as she gestured towards the screen where the young characters were discussing the subject.

"Err, yes, a tradition for students." his voice was slightly hoarse. "Many schools hold dances throughout the year for students to socialize but prom is considered special, an important event in the lives of young people. Dress is formal so it is a bit like a ball. There is a great deal of fuss and preparation for it, particularly with young ladies. Perhaps once a year my shop is visited by a young lady interested in antique jewelry, determined to find something unique enough to outshine all of her friends."

"Sounds very like a ball indeed then. And a guest must be invited?"

"Not by a hostess. An invitation is not strictly required, but the children tend to attend the event paired off for the dancing. One could choose to attend alone, i presume."

"Why doesn't she choose to do so?" Belle asked of the characer onscreen. "Or ask someone herself?"

"The social convention is that the _young man_  will ask the young woman he most prefers if she will accompany him. A bit like a gentleman filling the dance card of the girl he likes most at a ball of old." 

"Hm." He turned to look at her and found her closer than he had expected. Their faces only inches apart, the movie theater aroma of popcorn and cheap upholstery was overpowered by the clean, elegant scent of his dear Belle. His eyes fell to her lips, but she failed to notice this as she mused before stating her opinion of the matter.

"I don't know if I care for that convention. She would be left in suspense to wait and hope that the boy _she_ most prefers will ask her. What if he doesn't? Suppose he doesn't have the courage? Then they would  _both_  be cursed to spend a special night without each other. I much prefer to be in charge of my own destiny. I suppose attending this prom without an escort might compare to a girl at a ball back home with no names in her dance card. No one wants to spend an evening alone with their back to a wall."

As she sat back, he wondered at that. Surely his beautiful Belle had never been a wallflower. She was so sweet and engaging; in a ballroom she would surely have a ring of admirers and friends about her. Darling Belle picked up friends with such ease, they practically followed her home like stray puppies. He could remember having to scold her once for inviting a passing peddlar in to sit while he showed his wares. Imagine, a foot peddlar invited into the Dark Castle for tea and a chat! Rancorous as he was at the time, he smiled at the memory now. Yes. his Belle was a charmer. If she had been born surly and spotty being Sir Maurice's daughter, however minor a noble he may be, would be enough to have male fortune hunters forever sniffing about her. Like that insufferable twit, Gaston.

Gold sourly tried to avoid the realization that Gaston had had the courage to ask for Belle. Superficial he might have been, but he possessed a courage even the Dark One lacked. Yes, despite all his power, Rumpelstiltskin had done nothing to win his Belle.  _She_  had made the deal, made the sacrifice. The fact that she had fallen in love with him he could only ascribe to the blind charity of Luck, Fate, the gods. Whoever or whatever looked out for foolish, broken old men with too much power and too little courage to use it properly.


	3. Chapter 3

As the movie wound to a close, the male and female leads shared a dance at the prom. As they did, they spoke of their differences, his immortality as a vampire. For the first time it occurred to Gold that as the Dark One, with life eternal, his own situation had its similarities to that of the milksop of a monster in the film. Belle could live the rest of her life with Rumpelstiltskin, but he could not live the rest of his life with her.

For so long he had thought Belle was lost to him forever. When he had her back, he spent every moment wondering when he would lose her again. When she would get fed up with the coward, the bully, the murderer, the monster, and leave him. Never had his imaginings been optimistic enough to suppose that she might choose to stay with him forever. But he couldn't have forever with his Belle. He would lose her: sooner, if he drove her away again, or later when her time came to depart the mortal realms.

Belle turned to remark something on the screen but whatever it was, she forgot it when she noticed the pain on his face. When she slipped her hand into his, he grasped at is convulsively, almost desperately.

"Rumple, what is it?"

He shook his head dismissively, brushing off her concerns and indicated she should turn her attention back to the screen. A pointless gesture as the credits began mere moments later. She sat in silence, watching the words and names flash by. She was sure she hadn't imagined that fleeting look of anguish he had suppressed. Belle wondered if his leg was bothering him. It wouldn't be too surprising in these awkward seats. Belle was not particularly impressed by the comfort of theater. She found herself wishing for a warm sweater as the air conditioning over-performed, and if the weak padding they sat upon was making her lose a bit of feeling in her bum, what must it be doing to his poor leg?

His disability was a bit of a challenge to Belle only for the fact that it was unique to him in this world, to Mr. Gold. She had not known Rumple when he was a mortal man, somewhat lame, before he became the Dark One. The 'monster' was the one she had fallen in love with. Him she knew well; what his goal was, what angered him, how to tell when he was lying, even how he took his tea. But this was a new facet of the man. Unsure of what she was dealing with she feared to ask him any questions that might offend his pride, already prickly from the vulnerabilities he had to accept living in this magic-free land.

Such vulnerabilities were running through his mind too. The magic of the Dark One wasn't of this land they found themselves in. He doubted his ability to hold back the ravages of time for Belle here. In the Enchanted Forest, he could make her young again with a wave of his fingers. But here? Could he even protect her from an early death at the hands of a foe, crippled as he was? Could he even fight off a rambunctious collie determined to plant its muddy paws on Belle's skirt? His weakness filled him with anxiety,brought him almost to the edge of panic.

They sat in pensive silence as the words and names scrolled. Gold cleared his throat and endeavored to collect himself, releasing her hand to scrub his damp palms against his trousers. Offering a poor approximation of a smile, he began to explain the various jobs of the production crew. She allowed him the reprieve, asking questions about film-making as they stood and made their way out of the theater. Outside, when she noticed no signs of pain in his gait, her curiosity overcame her.

"Talk to me, Rumple. You must learn to share things with me."

Words of dismissal came readily to his lips but before he could utter them, Belle halted suddenly. In his face she could see the mask fall, the one that he wore to hide vulnerabilities that might threaten him. He wouldn't give up the tiniest secret without a fight. She stood resolutely on the sidewalk, arms crossed, the afternoon sun lightening her dark hair with a shine of gold. Her expression was stubborn and, if he was correct, a little sad. She was right, of course. He'd lost her once because he had refused to open up to her; he must not let his fears come between them again.

With a nod, he offered his arm to her. Slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow she fell in besides him, her steps flowing and graceful as they kept pace with his hobbled stride.

"Until now, Belle, I don't know that I have ever truly realized that I must do without you someday. That I must... live on after you are gone. I thought you dead once before. It was a very dark time in an already gloomy existence." His face was like stone, cold and impassive. Here was another difference from the Rumple she knew, who had been exuberantly expressive in both his joys and his rages.

Belle halted once more. This time her hand slid down his arm to grasp his hand, her fingers interlocking with his own. Her eyes swam with emotion and though she swallowed the lump in her throat, it was still hard to speak.

"Rumplestiltskin..."

She had spared little thought to his immortality. His powers were not what drew her to him. Even less time had she spent contemplating her own mortality. Intellectually she knew someday death would take her from those she loved, but it was a simple fact of life one had to accept and dwelling on it did nothingbut darken one's mood. Words failed her as she wondered at the unique burden Rumplestiltskin bore in living long enough to watch each person he might have cared for wither, grow old, and die.

Gold couldn't stand to see such a look of sadness and sympathy in Belle's eyes. He preferred them alight with saucy laughter. If only she had not caught him in such an unguarded moment; he would have spared her the unpleasant thoughts that threatened to dim their lovely day. Gold cursed himself for not responding with a blithe fib. He gave her hand a squeeze and, with a gentle tug, set them strolling once more down the sidewalk.

"Forgive me, dearie." He said. They walked unspeaking for few moments before he turned the subject. "Tell me. What did you think of the cinema?


	4. Chapter 4

“I enjoyed it very much.” Belle said, trying to recapture their pleasant rapport. “I can see the magic in movies. Ruby warned me when I started at the library that the people here watch far more movies than they do books.” That brought a small smile back to his lips; she must have been dismayed to learn that, he thought. “Now at least I can understand a bit of their appeal. It is very thrilling to feel as if you are in the middle of the action, yet know you are in no danger..” She glanced up towards the sun to gauge its position before she remembered the watch on her wrist. The delicate filigree timepiece was a gift from Gold's shop. “And you can finish the story within a few hours. A truly good book never took me less than two days, but life seems to move faster in this world.”

As they chatted about films and books, they walked towards Granny's diner. But Gold made the mistake of mentioning Gone With the Wind to Belle and found himself being queried for details on a film he only half remembered. When they reached Granny's he was endeavoring to describe the actor who played Rhett Butler and, absorbed in their conversation, they walked past without noticing.

In turn Belle told him stories she had read in the land they came from, trying to find ones he hadn't heard in his many years as the Dark One. She had little luck until she remembered the myth of the selkie.

“They cast off their skins to walk the land as men, and when they return to the sea they become seals once more.” she explained as they strolled through Storybrooke's sun-dappled lanes.

“I never encountered such a creature myself. Still it sounds no stranger than a mermaid and those, I assure you, I had more than one encounter with.” As he spoke of mermaids, he noticed they had reached the sea. Strolling down the main road through Storybrooke, it had led them past the city center and down to the shore. Now they came to a stop in the shade of the last tree along this street. A few yards away the sidewalk terminated into sand dunes peppered with tall waving grasses, bordering the beach. Off to their left was the harbor and the fish cannery, thankfully downwind.

When their steps halted, Belle looked back as she realized where they were. As she turned to Rumple, a breeze wafted from the sea, shaking the tree over their heads. A curl of hair blew loose and fell down her neck, trailing invitingly over her modest décolletage. She reached up to brush the tickling strand aside but her hand froze when she noticed his eyes on her. They burned with a yearning desire as his fingers brushed her own aside and swept the hair aside. She reacted with a sharp intake of breath with his knuckles gently brushed over her skin and she held it as he tucked the stray strand behind her ear. When he dropped his hand back to his side, she was able to exhale, to breathe normally once more though her heart still raced.

As she began to recover her composure, she noticed the sunlight dancing, dappling Gold in light and shadow until he almost looked like her Rumple once more, and she couldn't help the delighted laugh that escaped her lips.

“What?” he asked, squinting as the sunlight played over his features, now blinded his unshaded eyes, now glinting off his gold tooth. His mind was in a turmoil, inflamed beyond sense at the feel of her. Her laughter barely penetrated the haze of his desire. 

“The sun,” Belle said, trying to smother her smile. “Just now you seemed to sparkle, just for a minute, in the shifting light.”

“Looked like the ugly old Crocodile again for a moment, did I?” 

“More like the vampire in the movie.” she ignored the offended look he gave her and continue poking fun at him. “Shining in the sunlight as if you were made of jewels. Perhaps your name here should be Mr Diamond instead of Mr Gold.”

He gaped at her for a moment, unused to being teased, even by his Belle. Unsure how to respond, he pivoted and began the slow walk back to town, his cane tap-tapping on the pavement. Belle fell into step beside him, taking his arm once more.

“I expect that young man is rather more pleasing to the eye.” he said. He knew the actor was considered rather the heartthrob amongst young women.

“Oh, I don't know.” Belle responded, “he doesn't have much appeal beyond the sparkle, does he? So pale, I've always preferred a darker complexion.” She smiled slyly. “And a man in tight leather pants.”

He nearly lost his stride in his surprise, but recovered smoothly. He drew Belle closer to his side and she noticed he walked a little taller.


End file.
